Hollywood comes to Venice as Pitt, Clooney kick off filmfest

An African film in the running is “Teza” by US-based Ethiopian veteran Haile Gerima tracing the life of a young Ethiopian from his student days in West Germany in the 1970s to his return to his native village at the age of 60.
From north Africa is Franco-Algerian cineaste Tariq Teguia’s “Gabba” (Inland).
Veteran German director Wim Wenders, the man behind “Buena Vista Social Club” and “Paris, Texas”, will head this year’s jury, which includes Italian actress Valeria Golino, Argentine filmmaker Lucrecia Martel and Hong Kong’s Johnnie To.
Among other films being shown out of competition are French director Claire Denis’ “35 Rums”, Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami’s “Shirin” and an autobiographical documentary by Australian director Agnes Varda.
Portugal’s Manuel de Oliveira offers a whimsical short film, “Do Visivel ao Invisivel”, which he created in 2005.
Festival director Marco Mueller said this year’s festival would be dedicated to Egyptian filmmaker Youssef Chahine, who died on July 27 aged 82.
“Who else could have succeeded in mixing the philosopher Averroes with Fred Astaire? That’s what cinema should be about,” Mueller said, referring to Chahine’s film “Destiny”.
Cannes bestowed a lifetime achievement award on Chahine in 1997.
His 1958 film “Cairo: Central Station” will be screened in Venice on August 31.
A career Golden Lion has been reserved for Italian director Ermanno Olmi, 77, whose 1978 neo-realist epic “L’Albero degli Zoccoli” (The Tree of Wooden Clogs) won the Golden Palm at Cannes and many other awards.
This year’s event is the 65th Mostra. The festival, launched in 1932, was not staged during World War II, while several festivals were held without films in competition.